Circuit interrupter



APY 7, 1931- n R. R'UDENBERG 1,799,988 g G IRGUIT INTERRUPTER Filed April e, 1928 Patented Apr. 7, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE REINHOLD RDENBERG, F BERLIN-GBUNEWALD, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VAN IA CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER Application led April 5, 1928, Serial No. 267,743, and in Germany January 28, 19727.

My invention relates to circuit interrupters and more particularly to contact members therefor.

One object of my invention is to provide contact members for a circuit interrupter that shall decrease the time of interrupting the arc established by the contact members upon the operation of the circuit interruptor.

Another object of my invention is to increase the speed of arc interruption by providing contact members that shall move transversely with respect to the arc to provide new and cool surfaces therefor.

A further object of my invention is to provide contact members for a circuit interrupter that shall be rotated during the time of arc interruption.

The present trend in the design of circuit interrupters is toward a structure that is capable of decreasing the time to completely interrupt the arc. Many structures have been provided to accomplish this end, the most familiar employed at the present time is one that produces an increased acceleration of the moving members, one that provides a magnet and an arc extinguishingr chamber for dissipating the arc, or one that employs a liquid director to project a cool stream of liquid across the arc path to there- 3o by cool' and quench it.

My present invention relates to a new and novel means in order to effect, as quickly as possible, an interruption of the arc in a circuit interrupter after the disengagement of the contact members. The present invention is based upon thefact that an arc will be extinguished relatively easily if its base, that is to say the point of the Contact `members from which it extends, is cooled. This cooling prevents overheating of the parts of the contact members and thereby prevents an omission of electrons Which would help in maintaining the are.

In accordance with the present invention, the contact members of the circuit interrupter are so designed and arranged that those points at which the are starts upon separation thereat Will change their position. The special embodiment herein shown accomplishes this result by providing mechanical means for members.

My invention will best be understood by referring to the drawing in which the single ligure discloses a particular embodiment of my invention in elevation with the tank portion of the circuit interruptor cut away disclosing the contact members.

My invention comprises, in general, a circuit interrupter 1 having a tank 2 that eontains a liquid 3 iu which the Contact members 4 are immersed and which will nowbe described in detail.

rl`he tank 2 contains a cover 5 that supports the terminal bushings 6 and 7. The lower portion of the bushings 6. and 7 eX- tend into the liquid 3 and support the rotatable Contact members 4 on their extreme ends by pins 8. A bridging member 9 is supported by the lift rod 11 that passes through the cover 5 through the aperture 12 and is actuated by the operating mechanism (not shown). Each end of the bridging member E) contains a Apin 13 that supports a rotatable contact member 4 adjacent to the rotatable contact member 4 supported by bushings 6 and 7. Sliding contacts 14 are provided, adjacent to each of the rollers, above-described. The current to the rotatable contact memrotating the contact bers 4 Will pass through these sliding contacts and prevent arcing taking place at the pins 8 which otherwise would produce a pitting thereat and increase theiresistance to rotation.

Ratchet bars 15 are provided on the bridging member to engage pinions 16 on the rotatable contact member 4 to produce rotation in the said contact 4 upon the movement of the bridging member 9. Similarly, rotation of the contact member 4 supported on the bridging member 9 is obtained by its movement with the said bridging member. This movement is produced by a ratchet 17 that is fixed to the bushings 6 and 7 and engages a pinion 18 on the contact member 4. The rotation thus produced will be in opposite directions to the rotation of the contact member 4 adjacent thereto, that is to say one Contact member will be rotated in a clockwise direction While the adjacent Contact memlil ber will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. By so rotating the contact members,

'l the termini ofthe are will be displaced in opposite vertical directions which Will tend to increase the length of the arc.

It Will thus be seen that I provide contact members for a circuit interrupter that move transversely with respect 'to the arc to pro- `vide new and cool surfaces therefor and thereby prevent the emission of ions that would sustain .the arc and prevent it from being easily extinguished. The single figure of the drawing diclose's a particular embodiment of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the special structure shown in the figure, or to oil immersed circuit interrupters as the principle of my invention may be applied to contact members of any circuit interrupting mechanism in which thecontact may be moved by any means relative to the arc.

It is, therefore, to be understood that such changes in the form, arrangement, and connection of the component parts of my invention may be made as shall fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination in a circuit interrupter having separable Contact members, of a movable member for supporting one of the contact members, and means actuated by the movement of the said movable member adapted to produce a movement df rotation in all ofthe contact members. l v

2. The combination in a liquid immersed circuit interrupter having a pair of leads ex# tending into the liquid shunted at their lower end by a bridging member that is supported on an operating member, of rotatable contact members supported on the ends of the said leads and the bridging members respectively, and means associating with the brid ing members, the leads and the contact mem ers and adapted to rotate the last said members by the movement of the operating member.

3. The combination in a liquid immersed circuit interrupter having a pair of leads eX- tendingbinto the liquid shunted at their lower ends y a bridging member that is'supported on an operatin member that is releasable to permit the bri ging member to move, of rotatable 'contact members supported on the ends of the said leads and the bridging members res ectively, and means associating with the bri ging members, the leads and the contact members adapted to rotate the last said members by the movement .of separation of the bridging member.

4. The combination in a liquid immersed .circuit interrupter having a pair of leads and a bridging member submerged in the liquid, of rotatable Contact members associated with the leads and the bridging member, and

means cooperating with the said contact members adapted to procure their rotation by the' ber.

5. In combination with a container and ay liquid therein, a plurality oileads and bridging members submerged in said li uid, of l, plurality of rotatable contact mem ers assomovement of separation of the bridging memciated with the plurality of leads and bridging members' completing a plurality of cirto procure their rotation by the movement of"`-- l the movable member when the said contactmembers separate. A

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of February REIN HOLD RDENBERG. 

